He said “there’s massive destruction of a lot of historic items” from fire, smoke and water damage.

The building also held the offices of the Coastal Community Action Program, which administers social services in the area, and the Aberdeen Senior Center.

Hubbard said the alarm call came at 9:26 a.m. and the crews immediately saw a huge plume of smoke rising from the roof.

Firefighters had to pull out of the building when the ceiling started to collapse. Crews from surrounding areas arrived, for a total of 77 firefighters tackling the blaze. Hubbard said crews would work through the night to tamp down hot spots.

Previously, the building was a military facility, housing National Guard companies through 1978.